This is a discussion on Gun owners show their metal in Hastings, Front Page Article in Detroit Free Press within the The Second Amendment & Gun Legislation Discussion forums, part of the Related Topics category; Now I'm not advocating open-carry, but having any of our gun-rights affirmed by LE and even advertised can only be a good thing. I only ...

Now I'm not advocating open-carry, but having any of our gun-rights affirmed by LE and even advertised can only be a good thing. I only quoted a little side-bar, but the rest of the article was good and unbiased. I bolded two key issues mentioned.

"Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined". - Patrick Henry

Peter Hamm, spokesman for the Brady Campaign, the largest U.S. gun control organization, said he doesn't dispute the legal right to carry weapons openly but thinks those who demonstrate for such rights are pushy and aggressive.

If that isn't the pot calling the kettle black, I don't know what is. Besides, Peter just doesn't get it....rights are not something to be demonstrated for, they are "God given". They are ours by being born, they can only be taken away by despots and close minded people such as him.

Since there is no law preventing Open carry, OC has always been legal. However, we have a law that lists pistol free areas to include the above. The law, however, says that those with a concealed pistol license are exempt from the ban in those places. Stay with me here...

There is another law that list "concealed pistol free zones" for us ccw'ers, it is mostly the same list (banks are not on it). The wording however, left us a loophole:

On BOTH lists are: hospitals, schools, daycares, and others. The wording in the original law says you can carry there if you have a concealed pistol license. The NEW law says that you cannot carry an concealed pistol at those places. The loophole is that it is not illegal for a CPL holder to open-carry in a church, daycare, sports arena, etc.

I wouldn't do it without having a good lawyer on retainer though, as that would almost certainly make for a court case.

In a church, mosque, place of worship it is up the presiding official as to whether or not we can conceal...

I believe it is up to the presiding or governing body, which isn't necessarily the preacher/priest/shaman. It is often a board or panel of congregation members that make policies. The clergyperson is often just an employee. Not trying to split hairs, but if you have permission from your pastor, you may not be covered.

Good article, but a lot of the quotes from observes and others alike show that we have a long way to go in education. I certainly won't bash this piece. Its actually a good and balanced bit of reporting! Both sides weigh in with little opinionated fluff. I'd probably read more national news if more stories were written like this.

Where did you find anything about a governing body? All I've ever found, heard, been told, etc. was what the MI state police web site says. MSP - Pistol Free Areas

"Any property or facility owned or operated by a church, synagogue, mosque, temple, or other place of worship, unless the presiding official allows concealed weapons."

In my experience, most churches have a board of elders who hire the pastor and tell the him what the policies are. They also have the power to fire him if they wish. Too bad Jim Jone's church wasn't set up that way.